Carvana Reviews - How It Works, Warranty, Financing, Returns

The first car I bought was damaged in shipping and had bad brakes. Carvana said I could go on my own time and have it repaired and submit a claim or swap for another car. I chose to swap. They stated I was only allowed to drive 400 miles in the week, no problem.

The second car was supposed to be delivered on a Thursday, so I took another day off of work to accept the delivery. I got a call that afternoon stating my car would not be delivered as planned, they forgot to put it on the transport vehicle. So I waited three more days for delivery (I caused 2 days delay because my child graduated high school Friday and we hosted a graduation party on Saturday).

Second car was delivered on Monday. I drove it to work the next morning and the oil light came on. The car has an oil leak (I've had to put a quart of oil in it twice in the past 10 days). I called Carvana again to swap - again. Online customer service was unable to help with the swap, I had to call the 800# and wait over 30 minutes to talk to a person. By then the car I wanted was not available so I picked another. They said they couldn't deliver for over a week (8 additional days in this car).

As a reminder, they caused this additional week delay so I expected the 400 miles for that second week to be added. NOPE! They only granted me 200 additional miles, capping my usage on this broken, oil leaking car to 600 miles over a two week period. I am buying these expensive vehicles because I commute to Boston. I drive 400 miles per week. They have told me that they're going to charge me $1 per mile for every mile over 600.

I've missed 3 days of work trying to get a functional and safe vehicle delivered and countless hours on the phone with customer service. It's easier and more reliable to use a dealership. I will never ever ever use them again and will continue to tell everyone I know that they're a nightmare to work with and scamming people into buying lemons.

Bottom Line: No, I would not recommend this to a friend

I'm a resident in Houston and I recently purchased a car through Carvana. This was my first time purchasing a car so I was very thorough with my contract and Carfax. I had it read over with my boyfriend who was co-signing with me. I sent it over to my mom to check over as well. It was a great deal, 2016 dodge challenger under 30,000 miles, no cosmetic imperfections for $20,700. The car was delivered to me at the beginning of July, and before I even got out to the car the gentleman who was dropping it off told me he had noticed some cosmetic issues. Then after doing a walkthrough, I noticed quite a bit more. I was told by the gentleman that the pictures would be submitted and to wait to hear from them about what could be done. I eventually was informed to take it to a body shop and get an estimate. That was done. Then I was told to wait for confirmation for the repairs to be approved. As the car was listed with no imperfection I was highly motivated to think they would not refuse the repairs.

While waiting for the approval I noticed the car had a coolant leak. I informed Carvana and was again told to get an estimate then submit it and wait for the approval. However, the car still had a couple of months of the manufacturer's warranty on it so I just had it repaired under that. That was 2 days without my car, and a couple of weeks pass and I was still waiting for approval for the cosmetic issues. I eventually called them and found it they had been approved I just hadn't been made aware. I was supposed to receive a text message, however, I didn't get it. I can understand technology mistakes happen sometimes though. I was finally able to take the car to the body shop on August 5th. That following Friday, August 9th, my repair advisor called me to inform me that the team had removed the bumper to get to some repair areas and noticed quite a bit of hidden damage. I had them stop repairs and contacted Carvana. Since finding the hidden damages I have spent over 5 hours on the phone with them. Multiple 24 hour approval days and found out the car had $13,000 of damage between the cosmetics and the hidden repair. $10,000 of it being hidden under the bumper and lights and grill being glued together as well as the reinforcement bar being dented in multiple areas. I asked to return the car and pick out another one of equal value, with my personal understanding that they sold me a car with extreme damages and was concerned that there are other hidden damages. They have refused to honor my original terms, now requiring a $6000 down payment and a 24 percent interest rate compared to my original 0 down and 12ish percent interest rate. When I asked why I could not have the original terms they said because they no longer offer co-signing and they would not transfer the terms to a different car, even though had the car I had originally chosen not been damaged I would have the car with those terms still.

So now my credit has been dinged twice due to the hard pull required to get my terms original and then dinged when I opened the loan, same for my boyfriend. On top of that I am without a car and unable to go somewhere else without paying extra due to my lowered credit score. Not to mention I just went through a whole buying process then the process of dealing with the repairs and now I am having to deal with trying to get the first months payment back, which can't be done until they have the car in the possession, which can't be done until the repairs are done.

I am unable to understand how they could do this to a customer who has done nothing wrong, I have been nothing but polite on the phone despite my growing frustration and I have been patient and in constant contact with them regarding everything. They sold me a car that should never have been listed, then refuse to honor the same interest and 0 down even for a car at the same price, and refuse to let my boyfriend co-sign with me when it was allowed a month ago.

Bottom Line: No, I would not recommend this to a friend

This is a joke. We had everything set up to be delivered. I was also approved but then a few days before delivery, they come across a problem with the car and it was going to take a few extra days

Okay, that's fine but then a few days they tell me that I don't make enough money so the payment is going to double. What kind of BS is that? Don't waste your time with this crap because it looks like another scam company wanting to charge over $31,000.00 for a 2013 Kia Soul.

I love the discrimination of the less fortunate (sarcasm). If I make a boat load of money, I can get better payments and pay a lot less money in the long run than if I had very little money they charge you double the amount. This crap should be illegal. A $12,500.00 car goes to $31,000.00 + is criminal.

Bottom Line: No, I would not recommend this to a friend

So apparently someone dropped the ball and had me sign the incorrect paperwork and my registration never finalized. Now I am miles away from home as an Irma evacuee with an expired tag and Carvana reps telling me there is nothing they can do. Not even speaking with a freaking desire to try and do anything or attempt to sound empathetic. Honestly, the rep sounded more annoyed than anything, like it was my fault they put the wrong VIN on the paperwork they had me sign. I did everything I was supposed to. I have a car with the tag and taxes paid for but no freaking tag on it to be able to safely drive anywhere. I am practically stranded hundreds of miles away from home and not even just because of Irma anymore. Thanks to Carvana.

Bottom Line: No, I would not recommend this to a friend

Well first I must say the staff over the phone are nice. However, the delivery was hell and back.

I started the process on June 19, 2017, and received amazing news on June 29, 2017, from the delivery driver that they are ready to deliver my BMW 3 series at 4 pm at my home in Las Vegas, Nevada. But guess what? The driver was delivering the car in the state of Maryland 2,500 + miles away! The car originated from their Texas location in Frisco, Texas and somehow the car ended on the opposite side of the country on the east coast. Now, how dumb of a mistake can that be? Get it together Carvana.

It is July 4th, and I received an update that the car was now at their Washington DC location and is not even scheduled to be picked up until July 7! And then go cross country from an estimated delivery date of July 12-13! What a screw-up and now the whole process realistically is taking almost a whole month. Not cool.

They apologized and apologized and gave me a whopping refund of $199 delivery fee (discounted the price of vehicle) and a new key since it had only one. Overall not cool and not convenient, as they state with the process of buying a vehicle online. I hope the car gets to the west coast safe and sound. And no, I will not recommend this service. Just go to Carmax.

Bottom Line: No, I would not recommend this to a friend

I was going to buy a car from them in the beginning. I put my home address, and I told them where I wanted the car delivery (to my apartment because I was selling my house), the down payment was $800 down. My house sold, I put the apartment address on. When I got ready to get the car this week, they told me for the same car now the down payment will be $4,000 just because my address changed. That is crazy. They don't care and told me there is nothing that they can do.

Be very careful with this company. If you have one little thing changed, like the address, they will screw you on the down payment. I am going to a dealership.

Bottom Line: No, I would not recommend this to a friend

I bought a 2014 Jeep Cherokee Sport with 42,000 miles on it from Carvana six months ago. The process itself was not a bad experience, but about three weeks ago, while driving my kids to a piano lesson we stopped under a red light on a hill and the vehicle shut off, wouldn’t start and the check engine light and battery light came on.

I had the vehicle towed to my house because it was too late to take it to a garage at the time. At my house, the vehicle started again, so I called Carvana Care (SilverRock) and told them what was happening with the vehicle, and they told me to take it to one of the garages listed on their website to get it looked at, which I did. I took it to Midas in Chapel Hill, Akron, Ohio.

First, the Midas Mechanic told me after diagnosing the vehicle that it was the head; that was when my nightmare started. After that, they told me it was the head gasket, and then it was air conditioning, and the then there something wrong with the vehicle computer, and now there is a problem with one of the valves. I have requested they give my vehicle back to me, and they have refused to do so because they took out the head again.

During all this time I have been calling Carvana and letting them know what these guys are telling me and wondering aloud if they sold me a lemon. I even asked them if they would allow me to exchange this vehicle with all the problems it has and how much I am paying for it. Carvana refused to do that, but they want me to trade it in for far less for what I bought the vehicle for and buy another vehicle from them.

I have already missed a few days of work, and I can’t take my kids to their events because I currently don’t have a vehicle. I drive about 40 miles to and from work every day, which is why I need a reliable vehicle but Carvana doesn’t care about that. They got their money and that's all that matters to them. What kind of mess have I got myself into?

Bottom Line: No, I would not recommend this to a friend

I'm so upset I want to cry.

I've had my car for exactly three months and I've been experiencing so many different issues. I had to get an oil change one month after I got the car. I had to replace my battery 2 and 1/2 months after I bought the car. My headlight needed to be changed five days after I bought the car, along with putting air into my tires because I had low tire pressure. Now I need to buy new brakes and rotors.

All of these things were supposed to be checked before the vehicle was delivered and clearly wasn't. I've written to Carvana's repair department, left a message on the corporate phone and emailed the president of the company and haven't heard back from any of them.

Do not purchase a vehicle from here, I am warning you. I've already informed Carvana that I would be writing reviews and contacting the media due to this issue. It's not fair how I have to come out of my pocket to pay for the things that should've been inspected. This is an additional $2000 added. I also have the receipts for all of my services that I sent to Carvana just in case they didn't believe me, but clearly they do, and that's why I haven't heard back from anyone. As a new company, they should be concerned how they treat their customers. Sooner or later this company will no longer exist.

Bottom Line: No, I would not recommend this to a friend

This company has some process flaws. I bought a 2016 Chevy Silverado, advertised with 5300 miles. The 7-day trial gave me the confidence to buy unseen.

The first problem was in the financing. Carvana's website says that a high number of buyers use their financing. My credit union would not finance the truck, saying that Carvana is a brokerage, not a dealership. So I was forced (if I wanted the truck) to use their financing. Ok, not a deal breaker.

Then the car arrived. When it was unloaded at about a 45-degree angle, the parking brake was not used, and when she put it into gear at that angle, the clanking noise was very loud. Sounded like it was going to be broke before it was even unloaded. Once unloaded, the truck looked like someone wiped it down with a dirty rag. Ok, still not a deal breaker.

Then I found the five other scratches that were not mentioned in the 360-degree photo tour on their site. Two I thought could be buffed out. The other three were down to the metal, and one was dented. Clearly the two that were mentioned on their site were the smallest, most unnoticeable of the seven.

Then I got in and found out that my truck with 5300 miles actually had 6700 miles. The delivery driver told me that "Carvana is good about taking care of these issues, just email them before the 7 days is up."

Day 2 (yes, even though the truck was delivered at 7 PM, that counted as day 1). Day 2, I took it to my mechanic and he liked it for the price and could not find anything wrong, other then the tires looked like there was a lot more than 6700 miles on them. So I took it to a tire shop where the inflation was found to be 41, 44, 45 and 51, in tires that are supposed to be filled to 30 PSI.

I emailed their repair team with photos of the scratched and dent and they said it's normal wear and tear and I still have the option of giving the truck back! Well, I do like the truck! But I would not deal with these dishonest, untrained, uncaring people again.

By the way, before your 7-day trial is up, Carvana removes your info (order number, pictures, access to papers that you have e-signed, all gone), AND there is no way to leave a review on their site or on their Facebook page!

Bottom Line: No, I would not recommend this to a friend

My initial purchasing experience with Carvana was wonderful. Financing was right and fair, delivery was on time, and the total process went very well.

The car arrived without a license plate, even though over the phone, I was told it would arrive with a plate. I figured it would be as seamless as the dealer issuing plates. I called and then had to wait weeks to be issued a temporary plate that expired shortly. The temp plate expired, and I have been unable to drive my care that I bought in DECEMBER since JANUARY 15th.

They provided me a MOUNTAIN of paperwork that had to be all notarized. I got it all together after having to go to many different places including standing in line at the DMV for three hours, sent it back, and was told that processing takes 4-8 weeks and THEN I'd have to wait 30-40 days for the plates to arrive after processing.

After all is said and done, I have been PAYING for a car that I have not been able to drive AT ALL as it is sitting in my driveway collecting dust. The 100-day warranty has expired before I even got to drive the car for an extended time. I paid extra for that and the registration fees and I nothing to even show for it.

So, be careful. They will give you the runaround, you will deal with horrible customer service after they make their sale, and you likely won't be on the road as soon as promised.

Bottom Line: No, I would not recommend this to a friend

The only word to explain this experience is "unbelievable." I went through the process of finding and purchasing a car. Initially, the customer service was very friendly and upbeat, and it WAS a very easy selection process. After reviewing my credit, they told me to pick a date for drop off. A day later they called and said "we need proof of income," that wasn't a problem, and I emailed them the info, and then they called back and said, "sorry, there was a computer glitch, you don't need to send proof of income." When you're dealing with finances, in this area you need to be exact, there shouldn't be such a miscommunication when dealing with money. I thought this was a random human error; I didn't realize this was foreshadowing of things to come.

I read a few reviews and realized they're not too competent when it comes to their deliveries, so I thought it would be beneficial to fly down and pick it up from their vending machine and make a vacation out of it. So I set a pick-up date about a month out, from their Nashville, Tennesse location, waited for it to be confirmed, and then purchased an airline ticket from Michigan to Tennessee, took a week vacation off work, and RSVP'd hotel rooms to plan on visiting North Carolina on my drive back to Michigan.

Three days before my pickup date, I got a text saying "you're a car buying genius! Your Audi A3 will be ready for you on 5/3 at 10:00 am" and I felt great. Later that day at 7:01 pm (they close at 7:00 pm), I get an email saying "we have to reschedule your delivery date." Thinking it was another computer glitch (since I was picking it up, not getting it delivered), I didn't worry much but still called the company that was now closed.

The next day I get a voicemail from Madison saying they needed to reschedule. I call back almost immediately and I explain to Matt the situation, that I've already purchased an airline ticket and planned a vacation around this pickup (since it was obvious my home address is in a different state than the pickup location) and wanted to verify the voicemail wasn't a miscommunication, and he said he would see what he could do and get back to me.

About three hours later I call back to get an update and Mark says "Matt's really good at returning calls, even if he doesn't figure out a solution, he will still call you back," and I emphasized reservations are non refundable 24/48 hours for some ancillary RSVP's I've made, so don't leave me hanging. After 5 pm that day, I called back again and the result of an entire day of "figuring it out" was, "sorry." There was nothing they could do, they couldn't even give me an explanation. They just said they could deliver it to my house a week later. They wouldn't refund my airline ticket, wouldn't provide a loaner car and could offer absolutely NOTHING except saying "we're sorry." I was so aggravated with their inability to alleviate ANY type of frustration or offer any compensation whatsoever except a ridiculous apology without an explanation.

I don't blame the call center, they seemed like a bunch of children pretending to be adults, I blame the fact that this company obviously needs to develop their communication infrastructure, and adhere to the same deadlines as any company does, when if that's not possible, offer SOME type of compensation when they make a mistake. It is unacceptable to tell a customer two days before they are flying out to pick up a car from the company's location that it's not available, and then offer nothing except an apology?

So obviously I called and cancelled the purchase today, if this is the type of haphazard business practice followed, to a potentially new customer, what type of person would want to get into any type of long term contract with a company that doesn't understand deadlines or obligations? I should have used the dealership like any normal person.

Now I'm going to cancel my insurance, throw away this non-refundable one-way ticket to Nashville, and try to scrape together some impromptu vacation with my days off. This will go down as one of the worst experiences with any business ever.

These aren't impulse buys or frivolous purchases, they're CARS! Carvana treats it like you're buying a book from Amazon, lol. Actually, I wish they would treat customers the way Amazon does because Amazon will get you a book better than Carvana can get you a car.

And Carvana, if you are reading this, don't even put up a response, because all it will say is "sorry [but we're not going to do anything about it]." You need to allocate more resources for problem-solving instead of damage control.

Bottom Line: No, I would not recommend this to a friend